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Sep 2, 2018

China blocks Australian state broadcaster's website: ABC

China has blocked access to the website of Australia's national
broadcaster for breaching Beijing's internet rules and regulations, ABC
said on Monday.It comes a year after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation began running a Chinese-language service.

ABC said access to its website and apps was blocked on August 22 and it has since been trying to find out why.

After repeated requests for clarification, an official from China's
Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission dictated a statement
to the broadcaster.

"We welcome internet enterprises from all over the world to provide good
information to the netizens of China," said the official, who declined
to give his name, according to ABC.

The official said these included websites "spreading rumours,
pornographic information, gambling, violent terrorism and some other
illegal harmful information which will endanger state security and
damage national pride".

ABC said it had not been told what laws it had violated or which content sparked the ban.

However, ties between Canberra and Beijing have been strained recently
over allegations that China is interfering in Australia's domestic
politics and using donations to gain access.

The claims infuriated China, which has dismissed local media stories --
including by ABC -- about infiltration as hysteria and paranoia.

The ABC also recently reported on Beijing's push into the Pacific
through "soft diplomacy", which Australia and New Zealand fear could
potentially upset the strategic balance in the region.
https://www.geezgo.com/sps/37580